Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Department of Health (DH) today (March 14) urged members of the public to remain vigilant against tuberculosis (TB) and adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes maintaining a balanced diet, avoiding smoking and alcohol, exercising, getting adequate rest, and maintaining good personal hygiene. These will help prevent TB infection and support the World TB Day, which has been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 24.
The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, today served as the officiating guest at the launch ceremony cum awards presentation for the World TB Day 2026, an event organised by the Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart Diseases Association and co-organised by the DH. In his speech, he said, “TB is an important infectious disease globally and in Hong Kong. Over the past decade, notified cases have ranged from 3 000 to 4 500 annually. Although there is a downward trend, the incidence rate is more than 10 times higher than that of other advanced economies. Approximate one out of 10 people infected with tubercle bacilli develop TB disease weeks or even decades later. Those with weaker immune systems are at greater risk. Over a lifetime, one out of every 20 persons in Hong Kong will develop TB. Everyone is at risk of being affected by TB. Hence, we must not take it lightly under any circumstances. The notification rate of TB in Hong Kong has declined from approximately 150 cases per 100 000 members of the population in the early 1980s to about 40 cases per 100 000 members of the population today, a reduction of over 70 per cent. Hong Kong is densely populated with high population mobility and an ageing population. Despite these challenges, Hong Kong’s effective control of tuberculosis can be attributed to the close collaboration between patients and healthcare professionals in achieving ‘early identification and early treatment’, as well as their full co-operation with the directly observed treatment service proactively provided by the DH’s chest clinics.”